Service connecter



Dec. 8,1936. (5. J. MEUER ET AI.

SERVICE CONNECTER Original Filed July 16, 1954 @WM/GM .EW/w/u' x km QFXXXMW Patented Dec. 8, 1936 UNITED STATES 2,063,044 SERVICE CQNNECTER George J. Meuer and Ralph A. Millermaster, Milwaukee, Wis.', assignors, by directand mesne assignments, of one-half to Cutler-Hammer,

'Inc., Milwaukee, Wis.,

a corporation of Delaware, and one-half to Borg-Warner Corporation, a corporation of Illinois Original application July 16, 1934, Serial No. 735,443. Divided and this application May 1,

1935, Serial No. 19,132

8 Claims.

, This invention relates to improvements in service connecters for electrical devices and more particularly to improvements in service connecters for electric refrigerators.

This application is a division of our application, Serial No. 735,443, filed July 16, 1934, for improvements in Service connecters.

' The various electrical devices employed in an electric refrigerator, including the compressor motor and its temperature responsive automatic control and a lamp for illuminating the interior of the refrigerator upon opening the refrigerator door, present a problem in providing a simple and convenient arrangement for connecting the same to a source of current supply. ponnecter devices have been proposed having terminal elements to, provide for connection of a pair of wires to the positive and negative lines, respectively, of a current supply source. In order to connect the electrical devices to the current supply it is necessary. to splice the separate wires from each of the devices to the two wires of the connecter, necessitating the inconvenience and inefficiency of splicing, soldering and taping these connections. These spliced connections may be more or less widely separated, or if, as has been proposed, a recess is provided in the cord receiving end of the connecter to accommodate the taped connections, the splicing, soldering and taping is required to be accomplished in a limited space, making these operations and the insertion of the knot of tapered wires into the connecter very awkward and inefiicient. In either case, the connections are potential sources of trouble, due to faulty splicing or other causes, which are dimcult to trace.

An object of the present invention is to provide a connecter device which will overcome the aforementioned disadvantages and difficulti'es.

Another object is to provide a device of the aforementioned character in which terminal elements are provided, such terminal elements being so combined and related-as to provide for convenient connection of all of the electrical devices of a refrigerator to a current supply source and/or to each other without the necessity for spliced connections. Another object is to provide a connecter device which is simple and inexpensive in construction. Another object is to provide a connecter device having parts constructed and arranged to facilitate assembly thereof.

Another object is to provide a connecter device having terminal and contact elements of improved and simplified construction.

'Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear.

The accompanying drawing illustrates an embodiment of the invention which will now be described, it being understood that the embodiment illustrated is. susceptible of modification without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a plan view of the contact blade and cord receiving end of a connecter embodying our invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the inner end of the base portion of the connecter shown in Fig. 1, showing the arrangement of the terminal elements thereon.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the lamp receiving end of the connecter.

Fig. 4 is aperspective view of the connecter with parts thereof broken away for purposes of illustration; a typical refrigerator electrical system being shown diagrammatically in connection therewith to illustrate the manner in which the same is employed.

Fig. 5 is a section on line 55 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 illustrates the manner of attachment of the connecter shown in Figs. 1 to 5 to a refrigerator motor control casing.

Fig. '7 is a flat development of a lamp screw shell and of the ring type lamp contact used in the connecter shown in Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive, and

Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are views partly in elevation and partly in section, showing'themanner of co-' operation between the ring contact and the threads of the lamp screw'shell; the sections of the ring being taken on lines 8-8, 99 and l-I0, respectively, of Fig. '7.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 6 of the drawing, the numeral l designates a connecter, the parts of which include a molded insulating base 2 of cylindrical form. Said base isprovided in its outer face with a circular recess 3 which is of reduced diameter at its inner end, forming an annular shoulder 4 substantially midway between the outer end and the bottom wall of said recess. Adapted to seat within the recess 3 upon the diametrically opposed outwardly projecting bosses and 8 on the annular shoulder 4 is a punched sheet metal, ring-shaped contact member I. The inner edge of the ring I is provided with a sub.- stantially rectangular notch 8 to provide for the reception of the thread of a lamp screw shell,

and the area 9 radial to said notch is bent as shown in Figs. 7 and 9 to offset the adjacent ends of the inner edge of said ring.

As best shown in Figs. '7 to 10 the ring I is formed in a wave-like manner to provide for engagement of the inner edge thereof at a plurality of spaced points with opposite sides and opposite walls of the thread of a lamp screw shell I8, which provides for relatively rigid support of a lamp II and insures intimate electrical contact between said shell and said ring. The ring I is preferably formed of metal which is sufllciently thick and sumciently resilient to prevent permanent distortion thereof by insertion of a lamp screw shell.

The bottom wall of the circular recess 3 is provided with a shallow rectangular recess I2 which is adapted to receive-the inwardly offset portion of a center lamp contact I3. The outwardly oflset portion of contact I3 islocated substantially centrally of the bottom wall of recess 3.

The inner face of base 2 is provided with a relatively shallow circular recess I4,-the bottom wall terminal in assembled of which is provided with the recesses I5, I8 and II, the latter being adapted to receive the terminal elements I8, I8 and 28, respectively. The terminal I8 is provided with a threaded opening adjacent to each end thereof, one of said openings being arranged to receive a binding screw 2| and the other being arranged to receive the threaded end of a screw 22, the head of which abuts against the outer face of ring I and the in said ring (Fig. 5).

' The terminals I8 and 28 are of like form and one end of each comprises a substantially rectangular portion which is adapted to overlie the horizontally bent foot of each-of the contacts 24 and 25. The rectangular portions of the ter-. minals I8 and 28 areprovided with threaded openings located centrally thereof. The head of a screw 25 abuts the inwardly oil'set portion of the center lamp contact I3 and the threaded shank thereof penetrates alined openings in said contact, in the wall separating recesses I2 and I5 and in the foot of contact 24, taking into the threaded'opening in the rectangular portionof terminal I8, thus holding said center lamp contact, thercontact 24, the terminalv I8 and base 2 in assembled relation and also providing ancleetrical connection between the lamp contact I3 and the terminal I8.

The terminal 28 and the contact in assembled relation with thebase 2 by a screw 21, the head of which is seated in a recess in the bottom wall ofrecess 3 and the threaded shank of which penetrates alined openings in the wall separating recess 3 and terminal recess I1 and in the foot of contact 25,-and takes into the threaded opening in the rectangular portion of terminal 28. The contacts 24 and 25 are located diametrically opposite to each other a short distance to either side of the axis of base .2, the vertically projecting portions of said contacts being bowed toward each other intermediate their ends to provide for resilient and intimate engagement with a pair of contact blades. The opposite ends of terminals I8 and 28 comprise substantially circular portions which are joined to said rectangular portionsby narrow 25 are held necks, said circular portions having threaded openings located centrally thereof and adapted to receive the binding screws 28 and 28. Suitable recesses (not shown) are provided in.the bottom walls of the terminal recesses I5, I5 and [1 for the accommodation of the shanks of binding screws 2|, 28 and 28.

A molded insulating cover member 38 of circular form is adapted to overlie the terminals I8, I8 and 28, said cover member having a pair of rectangular entrance passages 3I and 32 extending therethrough, the inner portions of said passages being enlarged to' provide shoulders beneath which the upper ends of the contacts 24 and 25 are located to prevent fouling of the latter by the plug jacks which are adapted to cooperate therewith. The cover 38 .is secured to base 2 by the screws 33 and 34, the threaded shanks of which penetrate openings in said cover and take into the tubular internally threaded elements 35 and 35.

The tubular elements 35 and 35 are located diametrically opposite to each other in line with the contacts 24 and 25,-the element 35 being located between the contact 24 and the periphery of base 2 while the element 35 is located between the contact 25 and the periphery of said base. Said elements are of like form, being provided at their outer ends with the shoulders cesses in the bottom wall of recess 3, the tubular portions of saidelements penetrating openings extending through the wall between the recess 3 and the recess I4 in base 2, the same being upset at their inner ends over the bottom wall of recess I4 to hold said elements in assembled relation with said base.

The outer face of the cover 38 is provided with an annular recess .38 which is adapted to receive an annular projection 38 on the enclosing case 48 of a refrigerator motor controller 52. The head of the screw 33 is adapted to seat within a circular recess in the bottom wall of the annular recess 38. The head of the screw 34 abuts against the foot portion of a bracket 4I and the threaded shank thereof pentrates alined openings in said foot portion and in cover 38 and takes into the tubular element 35 as aforementioned.

A substantially rectangular recess is provided in the upper face' of cover 38 adJacent to the periphery thereof to receive the foot portion of bracket 4I the peripheral rim 42 surrounding the recess 38 terminating at the sides of said recess to accommodate said bracket as shown in Figs.

1 and 5. The outwardly projecting portion 43 of' bracket 4I is substantially parallel to the axis of the connecter I, said projecting portion being bent at an angle of substantially ninety degrees with respect to the foot of said bracket. The projecting portion 43 of the bracket H is provided with a threaded opening 44 for the reception of the threaded shank of a screw 45 (Fig. 6).

As shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the binding screws 2I, 28 and 28 are closely grouped adjacent to the periphery of base 2. The cover 38 is pro vided with a relatively large opening 45 (Fig. l) which is located substantially in alinem'ent with the binding screw 28, the binding screws 2I and '28 being disposed on opposite sides of said opening. Thewires 41, 48 and '48 .are shown diagrammatically in Fig. 4, the same being actually brought through the opening 48 and connected to the terminals 28, I8 and I8, respectively, by the binding screws 28, 28 and 2|, said wires being 31 which are adapted to seat within shallow i e-I preferably combined in the form of a three-wire conductor cord.

Attachment of the connecter I to the controller case 40 is effected by registering the passages 3| and 32 with the plug jacks 50 and and pressing the connecter into the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 6 to effect engagement of said jacks with the contacts 24 and 25 in a well-known manner, as illustrated in Fig. 4. The connecter I is rigidly secured to the case 40 by tightening of the screw 45 against the segmental ridge or projection 39.

The circuit connections of Fig. 4 are as follows:

One side of the compressor motor M is connected to line L the other side being connected to line L by the conductor 4'1, to and through terminal 20, the resilient contact 25, contact blade 5|, through the automatic temperature responsive control 52, contact blade 50, resilientcontact 24, terminal l9, by conductor 48 to line L A portion of a refrigerator box is shown schematically at 53 and a portion of a refrigerator door at 54. A normally closed switch 55 (shown schematically) is adapted to be held in open position by the door 54 when the latter is closed. Upon opening the door 54 the switch 55 closes, thus completing a circuit for the lamp II which circuit may be traced from line L through the switch 55 by conductor 49 to and through terminal I8, the screw 22, the ring contact I, the lamp screw shell I!) and the filament of the lamp H, through the center lamp contact 13, the screw 26 and terminal l9 by the conductor 48 to line L It is apparent from the foregoing that connection of the various electrical devices of a refrigerator to a current supply may be simply and conveniently effected by means of the aforedescribed connecter and that the appearance of the wiring will be much neater. It is to be understood that the lamp II will be located within the refrigerator cabinet to be illuminated upon opening of the refrigerator door in the usual manner.

The embodiment of our invention illustrated by the accompanying drawing and described herein fulfills the stated objects in that among other features the construction of the connecter is simple, the parts thereof are so formed as to facilitate assembly thereof, and the same are arranged to provide convenient means for effecting the necessary wiring connections.

What We claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A service connector. for electric refrigerators comprising a molded insulating base of cylindrical form, said base having a relatively deep substantially cylindrical recess formed in one end thereof and a relatively shallow substantially cylindrical recess formed in the other end thereof with a disk-like wall formed therebetween, center and screw shell lamp socket contacts located in said relatively deep recess, three wiring terminal members located in spaced relation to each other on the surface of said wall within said relatively shallow recess, a pair of plug jack engaging contacts clampingly engaged by two of said terminal members, said contacts extending outwardly from said relatively shallow recess, screws penetrating said wall and engaging the respective terminal members to secure the latter and all of said contacts in assembled relation to said base, certain of said screws providing mechanical and electrical connections between the contacts on opposite sides of said wall and their associated terminal members, a molded insulating cover member of cylindrical form adapted to overlie said terminal members and said plug jack engaging contacts, means comprising a pair of internally threaded elements carried by said wall and a pair of screws penetrating said cover member and said internally threaded elements to provide for releasable securement of said cover member to said base, said cover member having recesses formed in the inner face thereof to accommodate said plugjack engaging contacts, said cover member having restricted passages opening to the outer face thereof and communicating with said recesses to provide for reception of a pair of plug jacks, and said cover member having an opening forming a passage for three wires to be attached to the respective terminal members.

2. A service connecter comprising a molded insulating base of cylindrical form, said base having a relatively deep substantially cylindrical recess formed in one end-thereof and a relatively shallow substantially cylindrical recess formed in the other end thereof with a disk-like-wall formed therebetween, center and screw shell lamp-socket contacts located within said relatively deep recess, three wiring terminal members located in spaced relation to each other on the surface of said wall within said relatively shallow recess, a pair of plug jack engaging contacts clampingly engaged by two of said terminal members respectively, said contacts extending outwardly from said relatively shallow recess, screws penetrating said wall and engaging the respective terminal members to secure the latter and all of said contacts in assembled relation to said base, certain of said screws providing mechanical and electrical connections between the contacts on opposite sides of said wall and their associated terminal members, an insulating cover member of circular form adapted to overlie said terminal members and said plug jack engaging contacts, said cover member having recesses formed in the inner face thereof to accommodate said last mentioned contacts, said cover member also having restricted passages opening to the outer face thereof and communicating with said recesses to provide for cooperative engagement of said last mentioned contacts with said pair of plug jacks, said base having internally threaded elements associated therewith and screws penetrating said cover member and engaging said elements to hold said base and said cover member in assembled relation, said cover member having a recess formed in the outer surface thereof to accommodate a projection formed on a suitable support, a metal angle bracket attached to said cover member by one of said last mentioned screws and having a portion thereof adapted to exteriorly overlap said projection, said portion having a screw in threaded engagement therewith, the inner end of said screw being movable into clamping engagement with said projection to rigidly hold said connecter against separation from the support.

3. A service connecter for electric refrigerators comprising a molded insulatingbase of cylindrical form having a substantially cylindrical re-v cess formed therein and extending inwardly from the outer face thereof, center and screw shell lamp socket contacts located in said recess, said screw shell socket contact comprising a relatively thin punched sheet metal ring-shaped member of circumferentially undulating form whereby a multiplicity of circumferentially spaced portions thereof are adapted for a relatively close fit with the opposed Walls respectively of the screw shell thread of an electric lamp, the adjacent walls of which screw shell thread are relatively more widely spaced than the thickness of said sheet metal member, three wiring terminal members located in spaced relation to each other on the inner face of said base, a pair of plug jack engaging contacts having base portions respectively engaged by two of said terminal members, screws penetrating said base, said contacts and said terminal members to secure the same in assembled relation, certain of said screws providing mechanical and electrical connections between said contacts and the terminal members respectively associated therewith, an insulating cover member removably secured to said base and adapted to overlie said terminal members and said plug jack engaging contacts, said cover member having recesses formed therein to accommodate said plug jack engaging contacts, and said cover member also having restricted passages formed therein and communicating with said recesses to guide the movement of said last mentioned contacts into cooperative engagement with a pair of plug jacks.

4. As an article of manufacture, a relatively thin punched sheet metal ring-shaped member having a substantially rectangular notch in the inner edge thereof, the portions of said ring adjacent to said notch being offset relatively to each other to provide for insertion therebetween of the screw shell thread of a lamp, said ring being bent in opposite directions ata number of spaced points between the portions thereof adjacent to said notch to render the same of circumferentially undulating form whereby a multiplicity of circumferentially spaced portions thereof are respectively adapted for frictional engagement with each of the opposite walls of a pairof vertically spaced portions of the lamp screw shell thread, the thickness of said sheet metal member being substantially less than the distance between the opposite walls of the screw shell thread of the lamp to be employed therewith.

5. A service connecter attachment for electric refrigerators comprising a molded insulating casing having a wiring cavity formed therein, said casing having a conductor passage communicate ing with said cavity, at least three wiring terminal members located within said cavity, a pair of plug jack engaging contacts located within said cavity and associated with two of said terminal members respectively, said casing having a substantially cylindrical recess formed in the face thereof opposite to saidwiring cavity, center and screw-thread type lamp socket contacts located within said recess, and one of said two terminal members and a third terminal member being adapted to provide for connection of said center and screw-thread type lamp socket contacts to a source of current supply independently of the other of said two terminal members.

6. A service connecter attachment for electric refrigerators comprising a molded insulating casing having a wiring cavity formed therein, said casing having a conductor passage communicating with said cavity, three wiring terminal members located within said cavity, a pair of plug jack engaging contacts located within said cavity and respectively associated with two of said terminal members, said casing having a substantially cylindrical cavity formed therein and opening to a face thereof opposite to said first mentioned cavity, center and screw-thread type lamp socket contacts located within said cylindrical cavity, one of said two terminal members being electrically connected with said center lamp socket contact, and the third terminal member being electrically connected with said screw-thread type lamp socket contact.

7. A service connecter attachment for electric refrigerators comprising a two-part insulating casing having a wiring cavity formed therein, said casing having a conductor passage communicating with said cavity, three wiring terminal members located in spaced relation to each other within said cavity, a pair of plug jack engaging contacts positioned within said cavity and respectively connected with two of said wiring terminal members, said casing having a substantially cylindrical recess formed therein and opening to the face thereof opposite to said wiring cavity, center and screw-thread type lamp socket contacts located within said recess, one of said last mentioned contacts being electrically connected with one of said two wiring terminal members and the other of said last mentioned contacts being electrically connected with the third wiring terminal member, and associated means for removably securing said attachment against accidental dis placement when plugged onto a refrigerator part.

8. A service connecter for electric refrigerators comprising a molded insulating casing having a wiring cavity formed therein, said casing having a conductor passage communicating with said cavity, at least three wiring terminal members located within said cavity, a pair of plug jack engaging contacts located within said cavity and respectively associated with two of said terminal members, said casing being formed to provide guide-ways leading to said contacts to facilitate cooperative engagement of the latter with a pair of plug jacks, said casing having a substantially cylindrical cavity formed therein and opening to a face thereof opposite to said first mentioned cavity, center and screw-thread type lamp socket contacts located within said cylindrical recess, one of said two terminal members being electrically connected with said center lamp socket contact, and the third terminal member being electrically connected with said screw-thread type lamp socket contact and witha suitable source of current supply.

GEORGE J. MEUER. RALPH A. MILLERMASTER. 

